Biography

Larry Niven was born in Los Angeles and is the grandson of oil tycoon Edward Doheny. He attended the California Institute of Technology, Washburn University(BA in Mathematics) and did graduate work in mathematics at the University of Los Angeles.

Famous for his Ringworld and Kzinti novels, Larry Niven's work is considered hard SF and is notable for its detailed treatment of other species such as the feline Kzinti or the Pierson Puppeteers.

Niven published his first science fiction story 'The Coldest Place' in 1964 and in 1967 won the Hugo short story award for 'Neutron Star'. He attained the same award in 1972 and 1975. His Ringworld novel for which he received the Hugo, Locus and Nebula awards in 1970, exhibits Niven's scientific knowledge. His vision of a Dyson sphere with a livable atmosphere and inhabited with a variety of alien species set in known space is worked out with mathematical precision.

The Man Kzin novels constitute Niven's other major contribution to science fiction. These books work out in great detail the culture and society of the feline Kzinti species also inhabiting known space.

Niven also worked in a variety of other genres including comic books, TV series scripts (Outer Limits, Land of the Lost). Currently Niven is working collaboratively with Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes and lives in Los Angeles, CA.